Championship Web Site

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For the second-straight year and fifth in the last eight, the Shippensburg University baseball team has been selected to the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Region Championship to be held at Point Stadium in Johnstown and hosted by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

The fifth-seeded Red Raiders (34-23) will play WVIAC champion and second-seed West Virginia State (36-12) in the second game on Thursday, May 15 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets for each game in this year's championship will be $5.00 and the stadium will be cleared after each contest. Tickets will be available at Point Stadium's main entrance with free ample parking available in downtown Johnstown.

Other games on Thursday include PSAC champion and sixth-seed Kutztown in a conference title game rematch against top-seeded West Chester at 11:00 a.m., and fourth-seeded UPJ versus WVIAC runner-up Concord at 7:00 p.m.

Shippensburg is making its 20th NCAA regional appearance and fifth since 2000. Last season, the Red Raiders earned their first regional appearance since 2003 with an automatic bid after winning their 16th PSAC championship in school history as the No. 3-seed in the Western Division.

This year, Shippensburg was one of four at-large selections after winning the PSAC Western Division title and finishing fourth at the PSAC Baseball Championship.

The Red Raiders are 3-1 against teams from the WVIAC this season, sweeping a doubleheader with Pittsburgh-Johnstown in Ft. Pierce, Florida on May 10 and splitting a two-game series with Shepherd, winning 15-12 on the road March 25 before dropping a 13-5 decision at home on April 8.

Shippensburg has a record of 3-4 this season against the other five teams selected for this year's regional, including 2-0 versus UPJ, 1-2 against West Chester and 0-2 against Kutztown.

The Red Raiders are 33-16 since a 1-7 start versus a tough schedule that included a four-game set with current No. 1-ranked Mount Olive.

Shippensburg has advanced to the Division II World Series three times after North Atlantic region championships in 1991 and 1996 and a Middle Atlantic region title in 1977.

Tournament Schedule

Thursday, May 15
Game 1:  #1 West Chester vs. #6 Kutztown - 11 a.m.
Game 2:  #2 West Virginia State vs. #5 Shippensburg - 3 p.m.
Game 3:  #3 Concord vs. #4 Pittsburgh-Johnstown - 7 p.m.

Friday, May 16
Game 4:  Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser - 11 a.m.
Game 5:  Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 loser - 3 p.m.
Game 6:  Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner - 7 p.m.

If four teams remain after game 6, then:

Saturday, May 17
Game 7:  Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 11 a.m.
Game 8:  Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser - 3 p.m.
Game 9:  Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser - 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 10:  Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 11:  Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser (if necessary)

If five teams remain after game 6 and two after game 9, then:

Saturday, May 17
Game 7:  Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser - 11 a.m.
Game 8:  Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner - 3 p.m.
Game 9:  Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner - 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 10:  Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 11:  Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser (if necessary)

If five teams remain after game 6 and three after game 9, then:

Saturday, May 17
Game 7:  Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser - 11 a.m.
Game 8:  Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner - 3 p.m.
Game 9:  Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner - 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 10:  Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 loser
Game 11:  Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner